Hadith 542
اُردوEn
وعن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال : أول ما كرهت الحجامة للصائم أن جعفر بن أبي طالب احتجم وهو صائم فمر به النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فقال : « أفطر هذان» ثم رخص النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم بعد في الحجامة للصائم. وكان أنس يحتجم وهو صائم. رواه الدارقطني وقواه.
Anas (RAA) narrated, ‘The first time cupping was dis-liked for the one who is fasting was when Ja’far bin Abi Talib had himself cupped while fasting and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came across him and said, "Those two have broken their fast (meaning Ja'far and the man who was cupping him.)" But later on the Prophet allowed cupping for the one who is fasting. Anas used to have himself cupped while he was fasting. Related by Ad-Daraqutni, who regarded it as a strong hadith.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
Lexical Explanation 542:
“Ba‘du” — the letter “dal” has a dammah (u-sound). This is mabni ‘ala al-damm (built on the dammah), with the genitive (mudaf ilayh) implied in intention and omitted in wording. Originally, it was “ba‘da dhalika.” Cupping (hijama) is a method of treatment in which blood is drawn from the body in a specific manner. A sharp instrument is used to make an incision on the patient’s body, and then blood is sucked out using another device. If a person, while fasting, performs cupping on someone, or a fasting person has cupping performed on him, does his fast break or remain valid? On this matter, there are two differing opinions among the scholars. Those who hold that the fast is broken use as their evidence this very hadith, which is narrated from Thawban, Shaddad, Rafi‘ ibn Khadij, and Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in). This is also the position of Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah).
On the other hand, it is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, ‘A’ishah, and Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had cupping performed on him while fasting. According to them, having cupping done does not break the fast. ‘Anas (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) was asked: “Did you people (in the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) consider it preferable for a fasting person to have cupping done?” He replied: “No, it was only considered disliked due to weakness.” [صحيح البخاري ، الصوم ، باب الحجامة والقئي للصائم ، حديث : 1940 ]
Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhuma) would also have cupping done while fasting. (Al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik, Kitab al-Siyam, Chapter: What Has Come Regarding Cupping for the Fasting Person, Hadith: 276, 275) Imam Malik (rahimahullah) said: “Cupping for the fasting person is only disliked because of the fear of weakness.” [المؤطا للأمام مالك ، حواله مذكوره بالا]
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Arna’ut writes in the margin of Jami‘ al-Usul: “The ruling that cupping breaks the fast is abrogated.” [جامع الاصول : 295/6 ، حديث : 4417 ، 4416]
This is also the position of Imam Ibn Hazm and Shaykh al-Albani (rahimahullah): that the ruling that cupping breaks the fast is abrogated. [ فتح الباري : 155/4 ، ومختصر صحيح البخاري للألباني : 455/1]
Imam al-Shawkani (rahimahullah), after discussing this issue, finally said: “The reconciliation between the hadiths can be made in this way: cupping is disliked for the one who experiences weakness. If the weakness reaches such a level that it necessitates breaking the fast, then in that case, cupping is even more disliked. For the one who does not experience weakness, it is not disliked for him (to have cupping done). Therefore, «أَفطَر الحَاجِمُ وَالمَحجُومُ» ‘the one who performs cupping and the one who has it performed have broken their fast’ must be taken in a figurative sense, because the aforementioned evidences prevent us from taking it in its literal sense.” [نيل الأوطار ، أبواب مايبطل الصوم ، وما يكره ، وما يستحب ، باب ما جاء فى الحجامة : 228/4]
From these evidences, and others besides, it becomes clear that in such matters, it is appropriate to act with caution, as was the practice of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu). Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) says regarding this: “‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) used to have cupping done while fasting, then he abandoned this practice, so he would have cupping done at night. And Abu Musa (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) had cupping done at night.” [صحيح البخاري ، الصوم ، باب الحجامة والقئي للصائم ، قبل الحديث : 1938]
“Ba‘du” — the letter “dal” has a dammah (u-sound). This is mabni ‘ala al-damm (built on the dammah), with the genitive (mudaf ilayh) implied in intention and omitted in wording. Originally, it was “ba‘da dhalika.” Cupping (hijama) is a method of treatment in which blood is drawn from the body in a specific manner. A sharp instrument is used to make an incision on the patient’s body, and then blood is sucked out using another device. If a person, while fasting, performs cupping on someone, or a fasting person has cupping performed on him, does his fast break or remain valid? On this matter, there are two differing opinions among the scholars. Those who hold that the fast is broken use as their evidence this very hadith, which is narrated from Thawban, Shaddad, Rafi‘ ibn Khadij, and Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in). This is also the position of Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah).
On the other hand, it is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, ‘A’ishah, and Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had cupping performed on him while fasting. According to them, having cupping done does not break the fast. ‘Anas (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) was asked: “Did you people (in the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) consider it preferable for a fasting person to have cupping done?” He replied: “No, it was only considered disliked due to weakness.” [صحيح البخاري ، الصوم ، باب الحجامة والقئي للصائم ، حديث : 1940 ]
Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhuma) would also have cupping done while fasting. (Al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik, Kitab al-Siyam, Chapter: What Has Come Regarding Cupping for the Fasting Person, Hadith: 276, 275) Imam Malik (rahimahullah) said: “Cupping for the fasting person is only disliked because of the fear of weakness.” [المؤطا للأمام مالك ، حواله مذكوره بالا]
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Arna’ut writes in the margin of Jami‘ al-Usul: “The ruling that cupping breaks the fast is abrogated.” [جامع الاصول : 295/6 ، حديث : 4417 ، 4416]
This is also the position of Imam Ibn Hazm and Shaykh al-Albani (rahimahullah): that the ruling that cupping breaks the fast is abrogated. [ فتح الباري : 155/4 ، ومختصر صحيح البخاري للألباني : 455/1]
Imam al-Shawkani (rahimahullah), after discussing this issue, finally said: “The reconciliation between the hadiths can be made in this way: cupping is disliked for the one who experiences weakness. If the weakness reaches such a level that it necessitates breaking the fast, then in that case, cupping is even more disliked. For the one who does not experience weakness, it is not disliked for him (to have cupping done). Therefore, «أَفطَر الحَاجِمُ وَالمَحجُومُ» ‘the one who performs cupping and the one who has it performed have broken their fast’ must be taken in a figurative sense, because the aforementioned evidences prevent us from taking it in its literal sense.” [نيل الأوطار ، أبواب مايبطل الصوم ، وما يكره ، وما يستحب ، باب ما جاء فى الحجامة : 228/4]
From these evidences, and others besides, it becomes clear that in such matters, it is appropriate to act with caution, as was the practice of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu). Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) says regarding this: “‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) used to have cupping done while fasting, then he abandoned this practice, so he would have cupping done at night. And Abu Musa (radi Allahu ta‘ala anhu) had cupping done at night.” [صحيح البخاري ، الصوم ، باب الحجامة والقئي للصائم ، قبل الحديث : 1938]
Source: Bulugh al-Maram: Commentary by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Page: 542
